A new survey on the condition of California's forests paints a dire picture of drought-damaged trees.

A new survey on the condition of California's forests paints a dire picture of drought-damaged trees.

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Updated: 7:18 PM PDT Aug 18, 2015

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WEBVTT KNOCK THEM OUT OF THE SKY. EDIE: SCIENTISTS SAY THE SIERRA WILL LIKELY SOON BE FILLED WITH GHOST FORESTS. NEW RESEARCH OUT TONIGHT SHOW HOW MUCH DAMAGE THE DROUGHT IS DOING TO CALIFORNIA'S TREES. DRIVE INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND YOU SEE THEM EVERYWHERE, HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD PINE TREES AND OAK TREES DYING BY THE MILLIONS. GULSTAN: NOW, SCIENTISTS HAVE A NEW ESTIMATE FOR EXACTLY HOW MANY TREES HAVE BEEN KILLED IN ONE PART OF THE SIERRA. KCRA THREE'S DAVID BIENICK IS LIVE IN PLACERVILLE WITH WHY THE SIERRA MAY NEVER LOOK THE SAME AGAIN IN OUR LIFETIMES, DAVID? REPORTER: THIS NEW SURVEY FOLLOWS UP ON ONE DONE LAST SPRING. THEY ARE LOOKING AT DECIDUOUS TREES. TO CONDUCT THE SURVEY, SCIENTISTS FROM THE FEDERAL FOREST SERVICE FLEW LOW IN A PLANE AND COUNTED DEAD TREES. AND LIKE BLEACH STAINS ON A GREEN CARPET, THE DEAD TREES ARE NOT HARD TO SPOT. NOW THEY REALLY LOOK BRIGHT YELLOW AND RED BECAUSE THEY'VE DRIED OUT AND CHANGED COLORS. REPORTER: THE SCIENTISTS' LATEST REPORT FOCUSES ON A STRETCH OF FOOTHILLS FROM PLACERVILLE TO PORTERVILLE, WHICH THEY SAY HAS RECEIVED SOME OF THE WORST DROUGHT DAMAGE SO FAR, WITH MORE THAN 6.3 MILLION DEAD TREES IN JUST THIS ONE AREA. WHOLE STANDS OF PINE TREES MAY NO LONGER BE THERE AND YOU SEE PROBABLY KIND OF A GHOST FOREST. WE LOST THEM ALL. REPORTER: TOM SINTON HAS SEEN ONE OF THOSE GHOST FORESTS WITH HIS OWN EYES. HE RECENTLY HAD TO CUT DOWN AND REPLACE ABOUT 70 OF THE PINE TREES THAT BORDER HIS VINEYARD NEAR PLACERVILLE. THEY WENT VERY, VERY FAST. YEAH, IT WAS SHOCKINGLY FAST. REPORTER: WITHIN SIX WEEKS, REPORTER: SINTON SAYS, THE DROUGHT WEAKENED THE TREES SO MUCH THAT THEY BECAME INFESTED WITH BARK BEETLES, THAT BORE THROUGH THE BARK AND STRANGLE TREES FROM THE INSIDE. LOOK. ALL THOSE DEAD ONES THERE. ALL THAT IN THERE. REPORTER: ARBORIST CHAD DYKSTRA SAYS HE'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. AND HE'S NEVER BEEN SO BUSY WITH ORDERS TO REMOVE DEAD TREES FROM PEOPLE'S YARDS, SOMETIMES AT A COST OF THREE TO FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS SOMETIMES WHETHER THE OWNER WANTS TO OR NOT. WE'VE SEEN SOME CITIES URGING ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN A PUBLIC SPOT THEY'RE GOING TO URGE THE PERSON TO REMOVE THE TREE. REPORTER: HOWEVER, THE ARBORIST SAYS OAKTREE'S LIKE THIS ONE, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE BROWN THEY MAY NOT BE DEAD. ONE WINTER THEY MAY COME BACK TO LIVE. ON THE OTHER HAND THOSE BARK

What kind of damage is drought having on California's forests?

A new survey on the condition of California's forests paints a dire picture of drought-damaged trees.